One soldier, 15 militants killed in operation in southwest Pakistan — army

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has expressed hope over the success of a UN conference in New York in June on settling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and implementing a two-state solution, the foreign office said on Thursday. 

Pakistan, which does not recognize Israel, has for decades called for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

“Pakistan reaffirms full support to the upcoming high-level international conference for the peaceful settlement of the Question of Palestine and the implementation of a two-state solution,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said at a weekly media briefing.

“We commend France and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for co-chairing the preparatory consultations for the June 2025 Conference.”

Khan said Pakistan hoped the June Conference would restore hope in peace and justice through meaningful action. 

“We believe that in the lead-up to the Conference: The ceasefire must be fully implemented; the blockade on Gaza must be lifted; humanitarian access must be guaranteed; civilians and humanitarian personnel must be protected. Any attempt to forcibly displace Palestinians or annex their land must be unequivocally rejected and effectively prevented.”

The statement came as French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday France could recognize a Palestinian state at the upcoming UN conference, adding that in turn some countries in the Middle East could recognize the state of Israel. 

The Palestinian Authority welcomed Macron’s statement as “a step in the right direction.”

Although nearly 150 countries have recognized Palestine statehood, most major Western powers including the United States, Britain, France, Germany and Japan, have not. 

Muslim countries that do not recognize Israel include Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has introduced its first-ever policy framework to regulate virtual assets and service providers, aligning with compliance and financial integrity guidelines of the global Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the country’s top investigation agency said on Thursday.
The new policy, created by a special government group under the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter Terrorism Financing (CTF) authority, is meant to set rules for how digital money like cryptocurrencies and the companies that deal in it should operate in Pakistan.
The move follows the establishment of the Pakistan Crypto Council last month to create a legal framework to create a legal framework for cryptocurrency trading in a bid to lure international investment. 
Cryptocurrencies including bitcoin are not officially regulated in Pakistan but are also not illegal or banned. As of Jan. 16, 2021, the State Bank of Pakistan has not authorized any individuals or organizations to carry out the sale, purchase, exchange, and investment of virtual currencies, coins, and tokens.
“Pakistan has formulated its first-ever comprehensive policy framework for the regulation of Virtual Assets and Virtual Asset Service Providers,” the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said in a statement. 
The policy will be scrutinized by stakeholders and legislative proceedings before being implemented in phases from next year.
The policy aims to curb money laundering, terrorism financing, financial instability and the potentials of blockchain-based finance and also provide space for innovation and develop institutional expertise. 
“This is a paradigm shift in how Pakistan views digital finance,” FIA Director Sumera Azam was quoted in the statement as saying. “The policy proposal seeks to strike a historic balance between technological advancement and national security imperatives.”
She added that the framework aligned with FATF Recommendation 15 on compliance and financial integrity.
FATF Recommendation 15, titled “New Technologies,” ensures that AML and CFT frameworks are adaptable to emerging financial technologies, including virtual assets and virtual asset service providers.